Electricity
by clandestinedly
Summary: Maura knows what she wants. The only problem is that Jane won't allow herself to act on her feelings; not yet - anyway...
1. The Little Black Dress

_Au: My first attempt at a Rizsles fic; comments and critique always welcomed :)_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing :) All ownership belongs to Tess Gerritson for these wonderful puppets... *ahem* characters.  
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The sound of the doorbell startled Maura Isles, causing her to jump and drop the carving knife she was holding in her hand. '_Shit_', she mumbled to herself as she bent down to pick it up, placing it on the black granite worktop in front of her. She was in the middle of preparing dinner; carving some pancetta before throwing it on top of a leafy salad full of beans, lentils and feta cheese. Turning around, she headed for her apartment door and looked through the spy hole in the centre of the hardwood door. For a split second, she was greeted with a mass of dark, curly hair until Jane turned around to knock again. She had her hair neatly parted and make-up on her face. Unbolting the chain on the back of the door, Maura opened the door for her.

"Jane? What are you doing here?" Maura knew she had been to her parents' house for dinner tonight, and so for Jane to turn up at eight-thirty was a little surprising.

"Can I come in?" Jane ran her hand down the side of her face and sighed slightly as Maura opened the door up for her to step inside the apartment.

"Of course you can. You know you're always welcome here, Jane." Maura shut the door and pulled the chain across the lock and walked back towards the kitchen. "I'm just in the middle of preparing dinner, if you want some?"

"I'd rather have a beer." Jane didn't mean to sound so harsh; her mother always just seemed to find the right buttons to push to wind her up.

Maura looked into the fridge, knowing that there wasn't any beer but to purely placate Jane. "Mmm, no. No beer, but I do have some wine if you'd like?" She turned towards Jane who had now sat on the couch, turning her body halfway round to face Maura.

"Just anything alcoholic will do." She shrugged and rested her chin upon her elbows.

"Cabernet or Sauvignon Blanc?" Maura held up a bottle of each, pointing them towards Jane?

"Whatever, Maura. Just a drink. God, that woman drives me crazy!"

The cabernet wine won that argument and Maura grabbed the corkscrew from the second drawer to her left and pulled the cork from the bottle. She grabbed two suitably oversized glasses from her overhead cabinet and poured some wine into each of them before walking over to Jane on the couch. An extended arm offered her a glass and she sat down besides Jane, who shifted her weight and sat forwards on the cream leather suite. Maura raised her glass to her glossy lips and took a sip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jane shook her head as she completely emptied her glass. Placing it on the coffee table in front of her, she sat back and sighed. "She just drives me completely insane, Maura. I got to her house, and found out that there was no family dinner – she was setting me up on another date. I mean, who does that? AND she wouldn't even contemplate me seeing my supposed date before changing into this stupid dress she bought for me. I'm in my mid-thirties and my mother is buying my clothes? It's ridiculous."

Maura tried not to snicker. "Well, that is quintessential Angela for you. But Jane, are you more angry about the dress or the date?"

"Both! I'm a grown woman, if I decide I don't want a man in my life, then that's my decision. Just because she wants grandkids – she assumes that I have to be the one to provide them! What is this, 1930's Boston? Is she forgetting that Frankie has functioning reproductive organs aswell?" Jane couldn't help but laugh at her own statement. She put her hands up to her face and shook her head. "It's just...I feel as though she's treating me as if I'm twelve again. I worked myself up so much I even brought the dress with me. That's probably given her some sense of satisfaction, right there."

That piqued Maura's interest; she always thought that Jane's wardrobe could do with spicing up. She had tried so many times in vain but Jane always went back to her plain and simple slacks and tee-shirts. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Can I see the dress?"

Jane stood up and walked towards the kitchen with her glass, pouring herself another drink. She returned to the couch with the rest of the bottle and topped up Maura's glass. She shrugged as she put the bottle down onto the table. "Sure, I'll go and get it."

Jane left the apartment and went back to her car to retrieve the dress bag that was laying across the backseat of her car. Maura stood up and straightened things up, fixing her hair in the mirror before applying another slick layer of lip gloss to her lips. She had barely put the tube down onto the table before Jane reappeared through the door of the apartment, which she had left unchained. Maura chained the apartment door and then sat back down on the couch.

"Well? Let me see it." She picked up her glass and took another sip of wine. Jane unzipped the back and pulled the three-quarter length, low-cut black dress out of its bag and held it up for Maura to see. Placing her glass back down, Maura looked towards Jane. "No, let me see it, properly. Put it on."

"You _cannot_ be serious, Maura. I don't do dresses." Jane draped the dress over the chair next to her and folded her arms across her chest adamantly. Maura picked up Jane's glass and took it over to her.

"Here, take a sip, then just go into the bathroom and get changed. If not for anything, do it for the laugh..." Maura winked at her playfully as she picked up the dress and nudged it towards her. "Go on." She knew she'd get her own way with Jane; she always did.

Jane let out an audible sigh and rolled her eyes. She muttered something that sounded like an _alright_ lowly under her breath and disappeared into the bathroom, not entirely closing the door properly. Maura's eyes followed her into the bathroom and could see Jane beginning to take her clothes off, removing her jacket first and then her top. She felt herself blush and turned away modestly, just in case Jane happened to turn around. _Don't let her see you watching_, she thought to herself. Sipping the rest of her wine, she got up and went to open another bottle. She uncorked it and went to check on Bass, who appeared to be sleeping happily beneath the work counter island. Maura smiled and stroked him gently and then picked up the bottle and her glass, returning to her sofa.

"Alright," Jane sounded despondent. "Are you ready?"

Maura sat up, "Yes, come out – I wanna see!"

"I swear if you laugh at me, I'll leap on you and break your arm." Jane could almost hear Maura rolling her eyes as she reached for the door. Her heart almost leapt as she noted that she hadn't closed it. Had Maura seen her getting changed? _Shit, that would be embarrassing_, she thought to herself. Gulping quietly she stepped out of the bathroom and into Maura's line of sight. The dress she was wearing was low-cut at the front with a sloping v-neck line, and under her bust it had three silver lengths of fabric separating the line of her body. Jane stood as though she'd been told Joe Friday had died, shoulders slumped and arms hanging lazily at the sides of her body.

"Well, turn then!" Maura almost leapt out of her seat with excitement and motioned with her hands what she wanted Jane to do. Her eyes drank Jane in, looking her up and down; the dress fit perfectly. Hugging every curve of her slender figure, and as she turned the v-neck also draped down the back, revealing the length of her back to just above her waist. She had to stop her mouth from hanging open, especially before Jane noticed but she couldn't stop the glimmer in her eyes at the vision before her. "Jane... you look...w-well you look amazing!" She sat forward in her seat.

Jane blushed and shook her head. "Shush, Maura – you're supposed to say that. You're my best friend." Her fingers nervously played with the skirt and she bit the corner of her lip anxiously. Maura stood up and made her way towards Jane, resting her hands on Jane's shoulders whilst looking her up and down from a closer distance. The way the dress wrapped itself delicately around Jane's breasts, her hips and then flowed freely across her thighs and legs astounded Maura.

"Maura? Maura..." The sound of Jane's voice caused Maura to look up and catch Jane's eyes. "Are you okay? You spaced out on me... Are you sure I don't look absolutely hideous... I mean, you don't have to lie to me, its okay."

"You look absolutely... perfect, Jane. Really, you do." Maura grinned at Jane, and for a couple of seconds they caught themselves staring into each others' eyes. A smile broke out across Jane's face and Maura snapped her head away, returning to the kitchen. These were feelings she was uncertain about; she'd felt something for Jane a few times but always locked it away deep down in the realms of her stomach – it wasn't right. Jane was her best friend and she wasn't about to compromise their friendship on the whim of a silly crush.

She tossed the salad she had been busy preparing earlier – not because she was hungry, but she was trying to distract herself from what was happening in her own apartment. "D...do you want something to eat, Jane?" Maura asked quickly, changing the subject. Her heart was beating a thousand beats per second, and she was almost certain that Jane would be able to hear it from halfway across the room.

Jane felt almost bereft by Maura's actions, she couldn't make sense of what had just happened. "Maura, are you okay? What's wrong?" She walked up to Maura and ghosted her hand lightly across her back, causing Maura to jolt and stiffen her posture slightly; her skin felt like a thousand volts had just ran through her body.

"Nothing's wrong, don't be silly. I'm fine. Dinner?" Maura plated up the food.

"No, Maura, I don't want food. Are you okay, are you sure?" Jane tried to block her view so Maura had no choice but to look at her.

"I'm fine," Maura replied quietly. "Anyway, what did you tell your mom exactly?" Jane turned away and collected her wine glass, drinking the wine down again. She seemed to be making a habit of this tonight. She hadn't meant for it to happen, she just blurted it out. The whole thing was completely crazy, but Angela had been digging at Jane for months now about having a steady relationship, settling down and giving her and her dad the grandkids they'd always wanted. So when Angela had been ranting on for at least ten minutes, Jane hadn't meant to tell her mom that the reason she wasn't interested was 'because... because I'm dating Maura!', but she couldn't stop herself once she had opened her mouth. And then she had run out of her parents' home, not stopping to find out what Angela's reaction had been, and headed straight over to Maura's. She was not only angry at Angela, but at herself for acting like such a fool. Now she had messed everything up; but somehow couldn't tell Maura what had happened. She wanted to, really, but what if that jeopardised their relationship? It wouldn't be worth losing their friendship over, nothing would be worth that. She couldn't bear to think of life without Maura, it seemed to be a dark, awful thing. Jane was prepared to lie to her best friend rather than lose her.

"I told her I wasn't interested... that I was dating someone else. And then I ran and came here. I'm sorry for ruining your evening, Maura. I'll just get changed and then I'll leave." Jane headed for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and changing from the dress her mom had bought her into her work clothes.

Maura heard the bathroom door click behind Jane, confused and bewildered by what had happened. Jane didn't like women, no, Jane definitely had a 'type', a penchant for tall, dark men. Her stomach twisted at the thought of her with a man, just as it had every time Jane had told her she was going on a date, or recapping what had happened the night of her dates. It was a crazy kind of jealousy, one Maura hadn't allowed herself to identify, because that would mean admitting how she felt for this woman. She had grown up with her parents teaching her that a 'family' meant a woman, a man, and two children – the typical stereotype. She had already lost one set of parents when she was adopted, and she certainly didn't want to lose a second set; this would disappoint them, break them to the core to realise that their only daughter was in fact, a lesbian.

Maura was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Jane come out of the bathroom. She only heard the clink of the glass as Jane sat it down and then looked towards her.

"I think I'm going to head home, Maura. I'll see you tomorrow? Thanks for being a good friend."

_Friend._ That was how Jane saw her. Maura felt so confused she didn't know how to react. She smiled bleakly and nodded. "Sure, see you tomorrow, Jane."


	2. The Rumour Mill

_AU: Wow - thanks for all the positive reviews, guys! I really appreciate the feedback, and of course, it makes me post the next chapters quicker ;) _

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Jane Rizzoli would normally describe the loud, violent jolt of her alarm clock as offensive but considering she had not slept yet, she simply sighed and threw her hand down on top of the radio alarm to shut the damn thing up. The red letters illuminated the room brightly, the time reading '5.30' and she sat up in belt. Rubbing her eyes she pushed a stray curl of her brown hair behind her ear and manipulated her feet from under her covers to the floor. The cold, hardwood flooring made her shiver until her body grew accustomed to the temperature. Standing up, she shuffled her way into the bathroom and washed her face in an attempt to actually feel human. Drying her face off with a towel she brushed her teeth and got into the shower, turning the water down to almost freezing cold but that wouldn't do it. That wouldn't erase what had happened the night before, the words that had been said. _You've fucking done it now, haven't you, Rizzoli? You've ruined it – the lies will come out sometime. It will ruin your relationship with your parents, or it will decimate your relationship with your best friend. Like a game of Russian roulette, which will die first? _Jane hit her hand against the cold wet tiles and slid down the wall to the shower tray. Letting the cold water fall on her head hard, like hailstones, she sat there for a while trying to make sense of the whole situation. She wasn't sure how long she was in there for, but when she noticed her skin becoming prune-like she decided it was probably time to get out of the shower. She dressed herself for work and surveyed the results in the mirror. _Decent enough_. Jane decided that she would pick up a coffee on the way to work; she grabbed her keys and left her apartment.

She had arrived at the police department early, and was one of the first there. Making her way up to her office, she could see Korsak behind his desk, engrossed in some paperwork. Hearing the door squeak open slightly startled him and he looked up. Peering from behind his glasses he was surprised to see Jane; checking his watch he did a double take.

"Rizzoli? You're here early."

"Hey Korsak. Early bird and all, right? Thought I'd get a start on it. Nobody else here yet?" Jane set her coffee cup down on her desk and sat on her chair, leaning back slightly into it. Korsak shook his head as he shifted his gaze back to the papers on his desk.

"No, only us..."

"Ah – bit of peace before the chaos starts," Jane cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"I was going to add, Dr Isles is here, too. She was here early too. Geez, you'd think you two were synchronized sometimes."

Jane tried to hide her mixture of fear and disappointment and brush it off with an "oh," but Korsak knew Rizzoli more than that. After all of the years they had spent together on the force, he knew when something was troubling Jane, and there was _definitely_ something bothering the curly-haired brunette.

"What's the matter, Jane? You two fallen out or something?" He sat back in his chair, unfolding his arms, trying to signal that she could tell him, count on him to be there for her.

Jane moved her hand over her mouth, her fingers ghosting across her lips pensively. She mumbled quietly before, "something like that, yeah."

Korsak shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "Chicks! You'll be best friends again by noon. You change your moods like the weather."

Jane laughed at his blasé answer, _typical Korsak_. "We'll see," she answered before pushing the power button on the computer atop of her desk.

The rest of the day passed away in a blur; mainly both Maura and Jane doing whatever they could to avoid each other – rumours were already flying around the office. _Had they fallen out? Did they sleep with each other? I heard that Jane caught Maura sleeping with Frost and this is all down to a jealous rage! I heard that Maura beat up on Jane at a late night bar fight! _ Some of the suggestions were downright ridiculous – though the one about Maura and Frost sent Frost into a wonderful daydream for most of the day; it just aggravated Jane more. Maura was removed from the rumours down in the morgue, but sure enough, she heard by the end of the day. So when she burst into Jane's office demanding to know who started those ridiculous rumours no-one was really surprised.

"You know, creating rumours is something people with little or no intelligence or life do to pass the time; because their lives are so boring they feel the need to create drama at the expense of somebody else! They're not clever, and none of them are true. There was no bar brawl, I did not sleep with Frost, and I certainly did not fuck Jane!" The emphasis on the latter statement was more to relieve Maura's conscience than to serve a point to anyone else. It wasn't that she hadn't slept with Jane, more that she never got the chance to.

Maura's face had turned a bright shade of pink and she regained some composure after her out-of-character outburst; Korsak, Frost and Rizzoli sat back, certainly shocked by it.

"Whoa, okay Isles – calm down!" Frost said, motioning his hands for her to sit down. "You should know by now this place is a big rumour mill. Don't take any notice."

"For sure," Korsak began. "Just ignore it, we all love you..._both_ of you, regardless of whats happening between you at the moment." He looked towards Jane who had an arched eyebrow and a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What do you mean; you '_certainly'_ did not fuck me? You don't have to say it as though I'm diseased, Maura." She crossed her arms over her chair and leant back slightly, t_his is going to be good_, she thought to herself with a sly grin.

Maura's head snapped towards Jane – she had definitely not expected Jane to say _that_. Maura's stomach plummeted, she hadn't meant it to sound like that, and the butterflies swirling around in her stomach indicated that it was quite the opposite – she wanted to fuck Jane more than anything; she loved it when the brunette got fiery. "I.. um..uh.. I didn't mean it like that, Jane!" Her cheeks turned from the bright shade of pink to crimson red, and she turned and bolted from the office back to the confines of her morgue.

For a moment, Jane had forgotten what had happened the night before; whether it was due to Maura's unusual outburst or just ignorance, she had forgotten and as soon as the M.E had left the room, a pang of guilt hit her body like a ton of bricks. "Well, shit."

"What was that about Rizzoli? I hardly think there was any call for that, especially from you..." Frost said, glancing over at Jane with a disapproving face. Everyone knew Frost had a thing for Maura, it was kind of an unwritten rule; and so for him to see Maura so upset, and Jane twist the knife a bit deeper made his defensive nature kick into action.

Jane shook her head. "Nothing, cumulative of a bad day, I guess."

"Shouldn't you go apologise, or check on her, whatever it is you chicks do when you fall out?" Korsak said from behind his desk.

Jane rubbed her temples, in about ten seconds flat she had made the situation go from bad to worse. She stood up, adjusting the waistband of her slacks and removing her jacket. She had worn an emerald green short-sleeved tee to work today, which seemed to flatter her grey slacks more than she had intended it to. She left the office silently and made her way down to the morgue.


	3. Yin and Yang

_AU: Short chapter this time - but there'll be more coming in longer chunks, I promise! Thanks for all the reviews :] They definitely do make me post faster ;)  
_

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Maura hadn't run so fast in all of her life, and especially not in five-inch heels. She didn't want to see, hear or talk to anybody else and was hell bent on locking herself inside the morgue and delving into her work. She got there and turned the lock behind her, turning her back from the glass and towards the stainless steel tables in front of her. She had autopsy reports lain across her desk, needing signatures to finalise them before she could give them to her boss. Even without telling Jane how she really felt, their relationship had already disintegrated, _to this_, she thought to herself. If she was to tell Jane, it probably wouldn't do any more damage but it would give everyone else cause to laugh at her when Jane told Korsak and it eventually spread around the office. Oh, the pleasure it would give others to know that little miss perfect, Doctor Isles was not as well-rounded as they all thought. She sat behind her desk, shuffling papers about in an attempt to get some sort of order organised but all she could think about was Jane. She hoped that she hadn't ruined everything, was Jane really that mad at her? Maybe she had crossed a line, touching her and looking at her for longer than was probably necessary. Her avoidance of Jane at the end of the evening. Even their nightly telephone conversation before they went to bed?

_You've really done it this time._ Maura couldn't stop a tear from escaping her lacrimal gland, and she brushed it away with her manicured index finger. Before long, they were falling as commonly as rain drops and landing on her desk with a splash, forming little pools of water; lines of black streaking through them from Maura's eyeliner and mascara. Her cheeks held black tyre track lines running and smearing her blush and foundation and she held her head in her hands. Ever since she had joined the Boston Police Department, she and Jane had been friends. Jane was one of the first people she met, toured her around the building, and took her out for a 'welcome to the team' drink. They had been almost inseparable since; they were like yin and yang; they seemed to complete each other and without Jane, Maura couldn't help but feel lost. She hadn't even noticed Jane watching her from the window, felt her presence.

Jane stood at the window, she could only see the back of Maura, sat at her desk but she could tell that she had upset her. There she was, sitting in tears, alone. Jane instinctly wanted to go in, put her arms around her and comfort the caramel brunette; but after what she had done, would Maura even want to see her? She reached out her hand to the doorknob and found it to be locked. She traced her finger along the glass before knocking so lightly she was unsure Maura had heard it. She had, of course – and grabbed a tissue from the second drawer of her desk, blotting her eyes. She was sure she had no more make up on and turned around anyway; shocked to see it was Jane knocking at the window, not Frost, or even Korsak. Jane. They had barely said two words to each other in nearly seventeen hours and thirteen minutes, and Maura was unsure how to handle this situation. There are no rules, no guidelines when it comes to emotions. She breathed in deeply and stood up, walking over to the morgue and opening the door slightly; just enough so she could pop her head around the doorframe.

"Jane," she acknowledged. She couldn't look her in the eyes, instead fixing her gaze on the wall behind her colleague.

Jane moved her head, interrupting Maura's line of view. "Maura, look, I just wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry."

Maura looked up to Jane's face, Jane's brown eyes wide, her lips pursed and a look of – what she thought to be – genuine regret. She looked to the floor.

"It's fine, I'm fine."

Jane's hand cupped Maura's chin, stroking it gently. "It's not fine. I didn't mean to make you cry. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? I'll make it up to you."

"I wasn't crying, Jane. It's fine. I was clearing up and some dust got into my lacrimal glands, producing tears as a defence mechanism for my eyes." Maura stepped back into her office.

"Maura, its okay – you can tell me, I'm not going to judge you. I really am sorry, I've just been dealing with a lot of issues over the past day or so and it was just easier for me to focus on something else, to draw my attention away from my own shit. I'm sorry, it wasn't fair."

"Jane, its fine." She nodded in her direction, trying to steer her away from this conversation.

"Okay, well, dinner tonight?" Jane leant against the door frame of the office, being careful not to overstep another boundary. If Maura wanted her space then she was going to respect her decision.

"Sure, I'll be there around seven." She forced a small smile across her face before shutting the door and turning away. She inhaled deeply, at least if they were in a personal space, away from work, they'd have a chance to actually talk and try to resolve this... whatever this was.


	4. Pacing and Panicking

_AU: Another short instalment, I know; please persist with this - it will pick up very shortly. I finished writing it last night so I can just go ahead and posting the new chapters. Keep reviewing, though, guys! They really make my day! :) _

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Angela Rizzoli paced around her kitchen, Frank sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee emanating with steam in his hands. She shook her head and threw her hands up into the air as she paced back and forth for the umpteenth time in under five minutes.

"Angela, just sit down. You're making me dizzy with all that pacing!" Frank said, before lifting the mug to his mouth and sipping the hot liquid.

"How could she say that? How could she do something like this to us? Why couldn't she just be _normal_ and settle down with a nice Italian boy and have a couple of cute kids for us to spoil rotten, like any normal family?" She turned towards Frank, her hands resting on her hip bones.

Frank placed the mug onto the coaster on top of the table and shook his head. "Angie, I hardly think she did this to spite us. If this is what Janie wants, then we should be there to support her, not have a meltdown in the kitchen."

Angela's eyes widened as she took offence to Frank's last statement. "I'm not having a meltdown! I just want to protect Jane, make sure she's making the best decision for herself. That's all any mother would do in that situation."

"Jane is in her thirties, Angela. I think she can make up her own mind about how she wants to live her life. You know, I know a plumber who lives in Hoboken who's son is gay, and it's not an issue for their family. Knowing Joe for as many years as I have, it's made me realise it's not something you choose – your sexuality. You love who you love, and if Janie loves Maura, than I'm more than happy to welcome her into the family. I'm not going to lose my daughter over something pathetic, Angie." Frankie sat forward in her chair, true, maybe he wasn't 100% happy with it, but at the end of the day, he realised, all he can do is be there for Jane in what could be one of the most complicating times of her life.

"If Jane is with Maura then there's no hope for grandchildren. Ever since she was a little girl I've just wanted her to be happy, safe and loved – "

"-and just because Maura is a woman means that Jane won't be happy with her, won't be safe with one of the smartest women we know and loved? That's a bullshit reason, Ange. I love you so much, you're my wife but sometimes I do wonder where you come up with these stupid ideas."

"I need to talk to Jane, Frank. I'll pop over later to see her and we'll straighten this whole thing out." Angela paused, "No pun intended," she added with a hesitant laugh.

Frank couldn't help but stifle a laugh as well, breaking the tension in the room. "I don't necessarily think that's a good thing. At least call her first, to make sure she's okay with it." He stood up and walked over to his wife, kissing her lightly before heading off into the living room and turning on the television set. The Yankee game would be starting in ten minutes and he wanted to catch the pre-game commentary.

Angela smiled at Frank as he walked away and picked up her purse from behind the kitchen door; placing it on the table. She delved into it, looking for something. Pulling out half of its contents and pouring them on to the table she found what she was looking for. A small, shiny silver key with a 'J' shaped key ring attached; she picked it up and clutched it in her hand.


	5. Confrontations

_AU: Right, so here's where it gets a bit juicy - or I hope so! As always, comments and criticism are greatly appreciated! :)_

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It was around six o'clock when Jane arrived home. She had under an hour to get ready for Maura to come over. As soon as she got into her apartment, she put some linguini into a pan and some sauce into another pan and put them on the hob to cook while she took a quick shower. She could smell the tomato-based sauce drifting through the apartment as she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off; styling her hair and brushing her teeth. She dressed up in something more formal than her usual slacks but less formal than the dress she had worn the evening previous. Jane decided on a pair of dark navy dress-jeans and a purple top with a pair of black ankle boots. This was probably the most feminine outfit in her closet that didn't involve a skirt of any kind. Looking at herself in the mirror she decided that she would do and checked the time. Six thirty-five. Making her way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, she took the pasta off the stove and strained the water from it into the sink, before tipping it into an oversize serving bowl. She then took the sauce off the hob and emptied it onto the mound of pasta, placing the bowl in the middle of her coffee table. She placed two smaller sized bowls to the side of the main meal with the appropriate cutlery.

Joe Friday appeared out from the corner of the settee where she liked to sleep and whimpered a little, reminding Jane that she too needed food. "Alright, Joe," Jane said, scratching the top of her head lightly. Calling her through to the kitchen, she emptied a pouch of dog food into her bowl next to some biscuits and Joe happily lapped it up as she wagged her tail – a sure sign of appreciation.

Washing her hands in the sink, she dried them off with a kitchen towel just as she heard the doorbell ring. Opening the fridge, she pulled out two beers and placed them on the coffee table en route to the front door. As usual, she checked the spy hole and saw the caramel brown standing on the other side of the door. Unbolting it, she opened the door for Maura and let her in, shutting it behind her. Turning around, she was greeted by Maura, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, and her purse in the other. Maura was all dressed up – with a _very_ flattering red dress that hugged all of her curves in the right way, accentuating her slender figure. Her make-up was perfect and not a single hair on her head was out of place.

"I brought the wine because beer causes bloating and excessive abdominal pain. And also, because I don't like beer," Maura laughed a little. She extended the bottle to Jane who took it with a smile and put Maura's beer back into the fridge; replacing it with a glass of the Chardonnay she had just been given. Jane hadn't properly stopped to look at Maura, and she almost dropped the glass when she took in what the caramel brown was wearing.

"Wow," she started, holding the glass out for Maura. "Maura... you look amazing."

Maura blushed, stroking a strand of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. "Thanks, Jane." She headed over towards the couch and sat down, looking at the food Jane had prepared. "This looks wonderful..." she smiled briefly, "did you cook it yourself?"

Jane nodded, "Yes, so I understand if you'd rather order in. You'll probably die if you eat it," she laughed.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really hungry," Maura admitted, "I just feel we need to talk about what happened. You're my best friend, Jane. I don't want to lose you, and in these past twenty-four hours, I already feel like we've distanced ourselves from each other without really talking about ... it."

Jane sighed and sat down besides Maura; she really knew how to cut to the chase. She picked up her beer and tilted the bottle to her mouth. Taking another swig of the bottle neck, she placed it down on the table. She nodded in agreement with Maura, relaxing against the couch.

"I know, I'm sorry. I should be apologising to you, Maura. It's my fault. The reason I came over to your apartment in a bad mood, and then when I tried on the dress and it was a little more than uncomfortable; it's all my fault." Jane shifted in her seat and loosely folded her elbow across the back of the sofa, her leg rested on the seat in front of her, shaking involuntarily – she always did that when she was nervous. Maura rested her hand on Jane's calf, trying to settle her down; calm her somehow. Jane was unsettled, and from the kitchen an aroma of burnt garlic began to filter through the air, causing Jane to sit up.

"Shit," she jumped up from the sofa and ran towards the kitchen, hurridly opening the door of the oven to be met by a cloudy plume of smoke. "Shit!" she exclaimed, louder than before. Jane had forgotten about the garlic bread she had put hastily into the oven. Her arms reached into the oven, grabbing the baking tray; the heat instantly searing through her fingertips causing her to drop the tray straight into the sink, screaming a string of curse words; Maura was sure she hadn't heard half of them before.

"Shit! _Fuck!_ Shit!" Jane hopped around the kitchen, waving her hand up and down quickly in a panic before turning the tap on and letting the pressurised cold water run on top of the burned skin which was now the shade of angry red. Maura stood up and almost jogged over to Jane, taking her hand and inspecting it.

"That looks nasty, but you'll be alright. Just keep your hand under the tap a second while I go and get some antiseptic lotion for it. I'll be right back." Maura left Jane with her hand under the tap, wincing slightly, as she made her way into the bathroom to raid Jane's medicine cabinet for the antiseptic lotion. Finding a tall brown bottle stuffed at the back of the cabinet, behind the pepto-bismol but to the left of the tampax; she pulled it out and grabbed some cotton swabs before heading back to the kitchen.

Maura turned the tap off and grabbed Jane's wrist, guiding her back over to the couch. She set Jane down and sat down next to her, her thigh resting against Jane's and she put the bottle of antiseptic lotion and the cotton swab down. She looked up at Jane's face and could see the slightest of tears beginning to well up in Jane's eyes, though she knew it takes a lot to make Jane cry, she smiled and stroked her cheek. "It'll be better in a minute, Jane. I promise."

She lifted the bottle of lotion from the table and soaked one of the cotton swabs with liquid, before putting the bottle back down. Taking Jane's hand in her own, she rested it up on her own thigh so she had a clear view of the wound. _Not that she minded having Jane's arm snaking up her thigh..._

"This might sting, just a little," she said, looking into Jane's eyes. When she had been taught basic first aid before she had gone to College, she had been taught to always reassure the patient; not to make them or give them any more reason for being more panicked in a situation; and that eye-to-eye contact was the perfect way to do that. Jane nodded solemnly and winced as she anticipated the pain she knew full well was coming.

As Maura pressed the swab lightly over the palm of Jane's hand, Jane bit her lip and closed her eyes as the alcohol burned against the raw flesh. Maura continued this pattern for a couple of minutes until she decided that she was done. "You might get a couple of blisters but other than that, you'll be okay. Would you like me to get you a couple of painkillers?" Maura placed the cotton swab onto the table in front of her.

Neither Jane nor Maura could deny that both of them had noticed the way the they were sitting so close together; Maura could almost feel Jane's breath beating against her skin and the adrenaline began to coarse through her body. It was almost like electricity, a sharp, violent jolt that took hold of both of their bodies when near to each other. Maura cupped the top of Jane's hand against her own and held it; and neither woman noticed that the hardwood door had opened and Angela Rizzoli was now standing in front of the doorframe.

Maura was unsure of how long they had sat there when she thought she saw something in the corner of her eye. Something had definitely moved and infiltrated her peripheral vision; she looked up slowly, her heart beating ever so quickly and her mind jolting to the worst thing she could imagine to be standing there: Hoyt. When she looked up, she saw Angela, but she wasn't sure which was worse. Being caught with Jane in this position, or having Hoyt there.

"Angela! I...we... didn't hear you knock." Maura started, jumping back from Jane.

Angela's eyebrow rose, "I have a key."

Jane turned around, placing her hands on her lap. "Ma!" she exclaimed. "I gave you that key for emergencies only! As far as I'm aware, there's no emergency here..."

Angela folded her arms and pouted her lips. "I beg to differ, don't you, Jane? We never did get to finish our conversation."

Maura stood up and brushed her skirt down. "I think I should go..."

Angela held her arm out and moved in front of the doorway. "No, if you're going to be my daughters' _significant other_, I think we should get to know each other as a family. So we all know what's happening here. Don't you?"

Maura's eyes almost popped out of her head and felt her knees buckle slightly as Jane jumped up and stood in close proximity to her mother's face. "Ma, I think you should leave. _Now!_"

Maura could hardly get the two words out – had she missed something whilst gazing into Jane's eyes? _Significant Other?_ "Sig..Si-Significant Other? "

"Yes, that's right. Or would you rather be called something else? Girlfriend? Partner? Lady lover? Wife? Though you do know you can't _actually_ get married, right? It'll never be a proper relationship..." Angela trailed off.

Maura felt as though she would cry right there and then. Jane whipped her head around from her mother to face Maura, her expression full of remorse and regret. "Maura," she began, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm so sorry, I was going to tell you... really; before I burnt myself and we got distracted."

"You were going to tell me what, Jane?" Maura's voice began to quiver as her eyebrows furrowed, she wiped a premature tear from the corner of her eye. "You were going to tell me that you're messing with my emotions? Using me as an excuse for your lonely, single life? That I'm just a plaything – some kind of entertainment?" Maura walked past Jane and her mother, picking up her Marc Jacob's bag from where she left it. "Now excuse me, I'm leaving."

Jane pushed Angela out of the way and snaked her way in front of Maura. "Maura, you can't leave. Not until I've had a chance to explain why I said what I've said. Please, just stay."

"I really don't think that would be appropriate, Jane." Maura stood back, avoiding eye contact with either Jane or Angela – though she could feel Angela's eyes piercing through her soul.

"Jane, would you mind explaining to your own mother what the hell is happening?" Angela interjected, confused and slightly angry with her own daughter – she knew there'd been deceit somewhere along the line.

"Haven't you done enough, Ma? You should be the one leaving, not Maura. How dare you just walk into my apartment like that – do you remember that little invention called the telephone? Maura, please stay – let me explain!" She grabbed Maura's hands, not caring that the pressure on her burn was absolutely killing her with the pain.

Maura didn't know where her feelings of love and admiration for Jane stopped and her sense of sadness and anger began at this whole situation. She wasn't the ice queen, for crying out loud – Jane must've sensed something after the way Maura had looked at her; whether it was love or lust. Had she just done this to wind Maura up? To test her feelings?

"Why did you do this to me, Jane? Why?" Maura asked, dropping her hands back down to her side, closing herself off from Jane. "Am I just some little game to you? Do you just like to toy with me? You _must_ have inkling about how I feel for you!" She raised her hand to wipe a tear from her eyes again, her make-up quickly dissolving under the saltwater leaking from her lacrimal glands once more.

Jane could do nothing other than look at the floor. Sure, she had seen some of the signs of a crush from Maura, but – how do you tell that from a loving relationship and a 'best friend' relationship? Somewhere she had gotten the two mixed up and messed everything up, badly.

Angela stepped forward and between Jane and Maura. "Janie, how do you really feel? Do you love this woman, or was it all some confused ... playground lie?"

Jane stepped back and shook her head. "Maura; ... I ... I think we should talk alone. Come with me." She took Maura's hand and led her into the bedroom and locked the door behind her. Maura followed Jane into the bedroom slowly, unsure of what was going to happen. Would Angela hear every word of this very personal conversation? She was about to take one of the biggest gambles of her life – telling someone that she loved them; all on a whim. Not knowing whether the feeling would be reciprocated. Maura sat herself down on the bottom of the bed, whilst Jane rested herself against her dresser. She folded her arms across her chest, "Maura... I don't even know where to begin."

"Don't." Maura paused, looking directly into Jane's brown eyes, "Don't say a word. I have to tell you something," she took a in a deep breath, "Something important."

Jane stood up to attention before moving to the bed next to Maura, she sat down. "Whatever it is, Maura, you must know that I won't love you any less. You're my best friend, and nothing will ever change that. I promise." Maura blushed a little and looked down, a silent tear once again escaping her eyes.

"You might not say that when you hear what I have to tell you." She took Jane's hand in hers, stroking her thumb against the pale skin on the back of Jane's hands before pulling away, sharply. "For a while now, I've been feeling a little... strange. I dismissed it at first," she continued, quickly – the quicker she explained, the better. "Jane, my feelings, they've ... changed. They've grown." She looked up to meet Jane's eyes; full of confusion and expectation. "When I look at you, I feel – I feel different. My stomach swirls and my gut clenches, and my vertebrae straightens as if I were a peacock displaying my feathers. Do you know peacocks do that when they're looking for a mate..." Maura trailed off, hoping that Jane got the picture. She looked up hopefully, but Jane's expression didn't display any reaction. "Do you understand? Jane..."

"No, Maura... I don't. What are you trying to tell me? I didn't go to college, I'm not that smart." She watched Maura as she stood up, the red dress still clinging to her curves in all of the right ways. She could've sat and watched Maura all day in that dress.

"Jane, what I'm trying to tell you... is... I have ...- feelings for you. Not just friendship feelings...," she looked down at the floor, "romantic feelings. I wish I didn't, I don't want to compromise our friendship, but I can't help it. I feel electricity every time you touch me, look at me, and you've already told your mom we're in a relationship so now I'm confused?" She couldn't bear to look at Jane, fearful of her reaction, of what would happen.

Jane looked at Maura, stood up and walked over to her. She brushed her hair out of her face and guided Maura's chin to look at her. "I'm not sure how I feel. I told myself that I'd told my mom we were in a relationship as a way to get her to shut up. To stop her from rattling on about my love life every five seconds, and," Jane hesitated, "that's all there is to it." Jane closed herself off quickly, drawing back into herself. She had been put into a position where she could do no right; if she admitted her feelings, then she ran the risk of losing her family – but if she didn't, then she would lose Maura. "I think that for the time being, we could do with some space. _I_ need some space to think about this – properly."

Maura felt as though she'd been hit sideways with a ten ton brick; she had been rejected, not only as a romantic prospect; but as a friend. She would never match up to Jane's family, and her feelings certainly would never be reciprocated. Maura had beared her soul to the person she thought she could trust the most, her best friend, the person she had admired for so long; whom she was attracted to. And there it was; wham! Rejection; and Jane wanted space! _Space_. Maura felt her chest contract, her lungs restrict the air from circulating around the alveoli properly; starving her of her breath. Her head emptied and became light, and she just knew she had to get out of here; out of Jane's apartment. She needed to be alone.

Jane worried when she saw Maura start to hyperventilate; moving towards her. "Maura? Are you alright?"

Maura held her arm out at a length, signalling for Jane to stay away. "I'm fine, Jane. I need to leave now." She stood up, slowly and exited the bedroom; her bag draped over her right arm neatly. She didn't acknowledge Angela as she left Jane's apartment; she just let her legs carry her as quickly as she could back to her car which was parked next to the curb in front of Jane's apartment. She got into her car and sunk into the drivers' seat, her head resting on her arms which had collapsed over the steering wheel. _What the hell just happened? You fucked up, majorly. It's over now. _ She sat and cried for about five minutes, before pulling out from the curb and driving back to her apartment.

Jane sunk into the bottom of the bed as Maura left. Boy, she'd done it now; she denied her heart and went with her head, knowing all the while this would inevitably kick her in the teeth. She said and did nothing, just sat there, quietly. She heard her mother stand up and the faint sound of footsteps drew closer to the bedroom, until eventually, Angela was stood in front of Jane.

"Are you over it now, Jane? This silly little phase – you see how it can't possibly work out, right? I mean, you're a smart woman; you need to find yourself a decent man to take care of you, look out for you, provide you with a family. You need to listen to your mother, Jane."

Jane brought her head up to look at Angela, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted. She couldn't even believe her mother had just said that to her. She had just seen her best friend, and ... she wouldn't admit it to herself fully, but her crush, storm out of her apartment in tears; having had her heart broken by Jane.

"Is that all you care about? You're precious family – grandchildren? You really have no sense of emotion? I have just broken my best friends' heart, and all you can ask is if I'm over this '_phase?'_ You really do take the piss sometimes, ma. You need to leave. You need to leave NOW." Jane didn't mean to be so forceful, really, but without realising it her hands had raised up, placed themselves on Angela's shoulders and she was now pushing her mother out of her own apartment with her own strength. Once she had manipulated Angela outside of her apartment, she turned her around.

"But first, you give me my key back." Jane held her hand out, expectantly.

"But what if there's an emergency?" Angela questioned, daring to look hurt at the thought of handing her key back to Jane.

"Then I'll call Korsak, or Frankie, Dad or even Frost. I'll call anyone before I'll call you! My keys; now." Jane watched, her eyes focused so intently on Angela she imagined them to be scorching a hole through the temple of her forehead. As soon as she felt the cold steel of her key in the palm of her hand, laying atop of the newly formed blisters that were showing up, she slammed the door of her apartment in her mother's face. Childish, she knew, but she needed to make a point to her mother – that she was a grown woman and could make her own decisions for herself.


	6. What did you do?

_Au: So here's the next chapter, thanks for all your reviews! They are all greatly appreciated! Glad to see you are all enjoying this so far... there's still quite a way to go, yet. 3_

* * *

The moment Angela returned to her home, Frank knew where she had been. He frowned disapprovingly as he saw her melancholy expression. "Angela Rizzoli," he began. Standing up, he towered over Angela with a good five inches; and she found herself noticing this more than usual as he advanced towards her. "Please tell me you didn't go there..." he paused, waiting for a response.

Angela avoided eye contact with her husband. "Where, Frank?"

"Don't play games with me. You know exactly where..." Silence filled the room, confirming what Frank already knew. He rested his hands over his face, dragging them down over his face slowly as he sighed. "Angela, what did you do?" He waited for a response; an excuse he was sure she was going to justify her behaviour with – but was met with nothing. Angela simply sat down on a dining chair.

"I only went over there to talk some sense into Jane. I let myself in with our key..."

"-the one Jane gave us for emergencies?" Frank interrupted.

"Well, I figured our daughters' life was to be considered in a genuine emergency..."

Frank held up his hand, stopping Angela before she could rattle off any more nonsense. "So you let yourself in? Without telling her?"

"It was an emergency!" Angela repeated, though unsure of whether she was trying to justify her actions to herself or to Frank.

"The fact our daughter may be a lesbian is considered an emergency nowadays? Jesus Christ, Angie! Call the cops! Alert the authorities!" Frank rolled his eyes, sarcastically.

Angela continued, regardless of his reaction. "Anyway, so I let myself into Jane's apartment and Maura was there. She was sat so close to Jane on the couch – and I was so worried about what I would see next!" Angela moaned on, continuing as though she were the victim in all of this.

Frank stood up, hands resting on both of his hips, defensively. "Because God forbid you would walk in to find Jane and her _girlfriend_ cuddling on the sofa, or even...," Frank paused – taking a sharp breath in and making a shocked face; dramatically clutching his hands together over his heart. "Kissing!"

Angela threw her arms above her head. "You know Frank, whenever I need you in a crisis, you mock me!"

Frank stood up and walked over to Angela, sitting next to her once more. He took her hand in his and rested it still on the table for a moment. "This isn't a crisis, Ange; the only person making into one is you. I know it will take some getting used to – but Janie is still our daughter, and if Maura makes her happy, then so be it. Try and be happy for them, Angela." He looked away before a smile played across his lips, "Besides, at least she has a relationship, right?"

Angela couldn't help but laugh, try as she might not too; playfully smacking Frank on his arm.


	7. Angela's Aftermath

_Au: Right, so I'm combining two chapters here otherwise they would have been really short. Again, really appreciating all of your comments, guys :)_

* * *

As Maura arrived at home, she twisted her key in the bronze lock and pushed the door open. Her apartment was encased in darkness, the only lights shining through the darkness radiating from the oven and microwave in the kitchen. She threw her keys into the large china bowl resting atop of the ottoman in her hallway; on top of which stood several silver photo frames containing fond memories - mainly of times she and Jane had experienced together. Maura felt suddenly trapped as she set eyes upon them, as if her feet were glued to the spot in which she stood; looking towards the frames and yet not entirely sure how to feel about them. She felt as though she had lost a friend, lost someone she could trust – Maura Isles had lost her companion.

Slipping her feet out of her black Louboutin's, she neatly arranged them on her shoe rack, placing her black Hermès Birkin bag down besides it. Heading straight for her bedroom, she slipped easily out of the red dress she had worn that evening and folded it up neatly on the bed before pulling out a pair of pyjamas from her oak dresser and dressing herself. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at her make-up stained face in the mirror. Her eyeliner smudged below her eyes and had set just beneath her eye sockets. Taking a make-up wipe from the counter in the bathroom, she swept it across her face, removing any visible evidence of what had transpired that evening. As she stared at herself, she saw her reflection but felt as if she was hollow; almost as if she had misplaced her soul.

Turning the light off, she headed into the kitchen to check on Bass, who appeared to be sleeping happily. Her nightly routine of checking all the locks on the front door remained unchanged before she headed to the bedroom, shutting the door behind herself and crawling into bed. Tonight, she didn't want to think or feel anything; she didn't want to watch or hear anything – all Maura wanted to do was to forget and to disappear quietly from existence.

* * *

As the door slammed behind Angela, Jane felt so furious she was sure that if she were a cartoon character you would see the steam bellowing from her ears. How could her mother be so insensitive? It shouldn't matter whether she is gay or straight, just as it shouldn't matter what colour her skin is. She had grown up listening to her mom preach about equality, how a person is defined by character and personality and not by trivial things like eye colour and hair colour and yet here they were, her mother was openly judging her for having feelings for Maura. Her whole life had been a total contradiction and her own mother was a hypocrite. To top it all off, she had shunned her best friend and told her that she needed space. _What the fuck was I thinking?_ The one thing Jane needed was to be with Maura; to feel the warmth of Maura's neck as she nuzzled against it whilst being comforted in Maura's arms. She wanted to look Maura in the eye and apologise, tell her what a fool she had been for saying those things and reconcile their relationship. Jane Rizzoli was alone, and it was all her own fault.

Jane dug into her jean pocket and pulled out her cell; flipping it open and scrolling down to Maura's name in her phonebook. Pressing the illuminated green call symbol, the call was directed straight through to voicemail. Jane sighed and hung up. She thought about driving down there, knocking on her door and trying to convince her to forgive her but decided against it. She had told Maura she wanted space – whether her phone was genuinely off or she was blocking Jane's calls, she deserved it and decided to wait to see her at work the next morning.


	8. Absence makes the heart grow fonder

_Au: I know there have been a lot of chapter updates for this fic today; I've been on holiday from work for the past week and when I finished writing it I wanted to get a move on with posting it. I'm back at work from tomorrow so there may be a couple of days wait before a new update, so I at least wanted to give you a decent 'cliffhanger', so to speak. Hehe - anyway, thanks so much for the reviews again, guys; keep 'em coming? :) _

* * *

When Maura Isles didn't turn up at work the next morning, nearly everyone was worried. Maura had never missed a day of work; even when she was suffering with a chest infection she had managed to struggle through the long days. Korsak and Frost were already at their desks, pondering the reasons the M.E would not turn up to do what she loves.

"It must be something really good," Korsak began, spinning his chair slightly.

Frost contorted his face with concern, raising an eyebrow. "Or something really bad," Frost followed on. "Jane will know, they're attached at the hip."

Korsak looked at his watch and then glanced over at Jane's desk. "Maybe Dr Isles had a bit of a _long night_," he winked suggestively just as a smile began to cross his face. "...and maybe that would account for why Rizzoli is late too...if you catch my drift..."

Frost laughed nervously, "No, Maura would never do something like that. Besides... she likes men. Men, with a capital M. And she isn't butch, so let's just drop that idea, okay?" Whether he was trying to convince himself that he had a chance with Maura or he was just uncomfortable with the idea of Jane and Maura being a couple, he wasn't entirely sure. He just wanted Korsak to shut the hell up.

Korsak sat forward in his chair and was just about to question Frost's reaction when Jane came through the door.

"You're late, Rizzoli."

"Bite me, Korsak." Jane threw herself into the chair behind her desk and switched her computer on. She didn't look at either detectives as she took her jacket off and put it on the back of her chair, she just stared at the loading computer screen.

"Good night?" Korsak began, ignoring the look being shot at him from Frost across the room.

"I said bite me," Jane started. She was not in the mood to deal with anything today, and didn't plan on saying more than two words to anyone she didn't have to. Her head was throbbing from the alcohol she had consumed the previous night – she had stayed up until at least three am and had woken up on the couch in the same clothes surrounded by empties. A quick wash and change of clothes and she was out of the door – this was even less preparation from the usual for Jane; which reflected her mood. Silence swept through the office, Korsak knew not to push Jane when she was in a mood and Frost didn't even want to consider what had happened, his mind was occupied with the reason for Maura's absence.

"So what happened with Dr Isles, Jane?" Frost said aloud. He had been having a conversation in his head with Jane, imagining what he would say to her to bring up the conversation and hadn't realised he'd vocalised his thoughts. "_Shit," _followed swiftly.

Jane's head pricked up. _She hasn't..._ _No, Maura wouldn't dare do that._ She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Frost and Korsak could tell that Frost had touched on something.

"Whatever she told you guys..." Jane began. "It's none of your business, so just leave it!"

Korsak shot Frost a look that indicated if he continued with any more questions he would be dead sooner rather than later.

"Geez, Rizzoli you are in a bad mood today! I only wanted to know where she was today," Frost threw up his hands in the air to show his innocence and spun around on the chair to face his desk.

"What do you mean? She didn't turn up?" Jane's face relaxed a little, her frown disappearing and turning into more of a concerned look.

Korsak shook his head as he typed something into his computer. "No. No phone call, no nothing."

Jane stood up and walked out of the office without saying a word, making her way down to the morgue to make sure she hadn't turned up to work. She sprinted down the stairs with ease, and sure enough, when she got there the morgue was empty. The lights were all out and the door locked. She pulled her cell out of her pocket and dialled Maura's number again. This time it didn't go to voicemail, it rang continually with no answer. She hung up the call after a few seconds and tried again, with no avail. Wondering if Maura was just ignoring Jane's number, she made her way up to the reception of the police department, dialling Maura's number on their main line. The phone rang shortly and then a click indicated that Maura's phone had received the phone. There was silence for a few moments before anyone spoke.

Maura's voice was quiet and distant, unlike the usual confidence she emitted when she spoke. "Hello?"

"Maura, are you okay? Why aren't you at work?" Jane's heart was racing in her chest as she heard Maura's voice. She heard Maura exhale down the phone.

"Jane."

"Are you in trouble?" Jane continued, determined to find out what was going on.

"No. No trouble. I just... can't – won't be in work today." Maura ended the call and Jane was suddenly met with a disconnected line. She put the phone down and dialled again. This time, Maura didn't pick up. Jane placed the phone back on the receiver and thought seriously for a second. It was very uncharacteristic of Maura to miss a day of work, and her voice. She sounded awful – although Jane had told her not even twelve hours ago that she needed space, there had already been too much. She needed to see Maura, not only make sure that Maura was okay but to pick up some of the pieces she had decimated.

* * *

It was already past eight thirty AM and Maura was still in her pajamas, lying across her sofa. She had decided it best not to go to work to give Jane the space she needed. It hadn't been her intention to cause worry or panic to the rest of her colleagues; she was consumed with Jane and hadn't given a thought to much else. She had fed Bass earlier in the morning and she could hear him moving slowly around the apartment, his weight clunking against her hardwood floors. A half cup of coffee sat on the table to her left, steam still rising up into the air.

Maura had dropped her shield when she had told Jane how she felt, left herself more vulnerable than she'd ever been and there was no going back now. There was no way to undo the words that she had said, and she couldn't take them back now. Her best friend knew that she wanted to be more than friends and had taken it badly.

The morning sun was gleaming through the window panes, the net fabric rustling against the breeze as the shadows danced across the four walls that surrounded Maura. She sat in the quiet, contemplating what she would do next. Would staying away from work for one day be too much time from Jane, or would it not be enough? Maura was unsure of how she would react and _how_ she was supposed to react when she saw Jane next. She lifted the cup of coffee from the table next to her and finished the mug off in one gulp, before placing it back down. Her doorbell chimed and the high-pitched notes rang through the apartment. Maura looked at her watch and wondered who it would be at this time of the morning; everyone she knew was in work.

Standing up, she slumped her way to the front door, feeling as frumpy as she probably looked. Her mouth opened up into a yawn as she reached the door and opened it slightly – it was still on the chain so no-one could burst their way in. She stayed behind the door, refusing to have anyone see her in this state, simply asking whom it was paying her a visit at this time of the morning.

"Maura? It's me... Jane."

Maura's stomach leapt into her throat and her heart started pounding. She couldn't bear to look Jane in the face, the humiliation still ripe in her mind; she stayed where she was, clearing her throat to speak.

"What are you doing here, Jane?"

Jane's fingertips appeared around the edge of the door, indicating to Maura that she wanted her to take the chain off and let her inside.

"I needed to know you're okay. Can I come in?"

"I don't know, I don't think that's really the best idea at the moment."

Her fingertips stayed where they were, but a sound of desperation became apparent in Jane's voice. "Okay, well, are you okay? At least let me know you're alright."

Maura's arms crossed her chest, almost defensively. She felt like she was going to cry any second, just from hearing Jane's voice crack when she spoke. "I'm okay, Jane. I'll... I'll be fine. I'll be back at work soon, tomorrow maybe."

"Maura... can I come in? Please? I think we should talk."

Maura hesitated, a finger rising up to her lips as if to stop herself from saying the wrong thing. Her voice caught in her throat before she could speak. "I don't think that I can face seeing you, Jane. I don't know if I can handle it."

Jane's heart sunk in her chest hearing Maura's words. "Maura, I don't want to lose you..."

"Jane, I am absolutely _humiliated_. I told you everything, things I've kept hidden for just under a year now. I took a leap of faith and fell to my..." she paused. "I feel like I fell to my death." Maura could feel the slight stinging sensation as tears welled up in her eyes for what felt like the millionth time in under 48 hours. She brushed them away and tried not to let herself cry again.

Jane's hand moved away from the door, she too, found herself willing the tears from her eyes. She had broken her best friend, her confidante and everything they had shared together. Behind the door, Maura had turned around – as if Jane could see her through the solid oak – to try to stop her emotions. Instead she found herself facing the photo frames atop of the ottoman; many of the photographs with Jane having her arm wrapped around Maura's waist; comfortably snuggling in close to each other for the camera. She tried to imagine her life without Jane and failing miserably. If Jane was in her life as her girlfriend or even as just a friend, it was better than her not being there at all.

"I'm so sorry, Maura. I never meant to do this to you. You weren't supposed to get hurt."

Jane shifted her weight back from the door, preparing herself to leave. "I would really like to talk to you; inside, though. Not here where people can hear everything."

Maura conceded, pushing the door shut enough to manoeuvre the chain from its lock and unbolt the door. Opening it slightly, she allowed enough room for Jane to step through into the apartment, before shutting the door behind her. She looked at Jane for a second, removing her eyes from Jane's figure almost as quickly as they had landed upon it – as if she would be chastised for looking, like a schoolgirl.

As soon as Jane set eyes on Maura, she wanted to take Maura in her arms and comfort her. She had never seen Maura look anything but her Sunday best; full make up, neat and expensive clothes adorning her body and very high heels. She couldn't remember when she had last seen Maura in pyjamas but today she looked like she was suffering a hangover from hell. A gasp escaped her lips as quickly as she set eyes on Maura's blank, drawn face.

Maura moved back to the sofa, sitting upright and looking towards the wall, away from Jane. She felt Jane sit down besides her, and immediately the level of tension in the room grew. Neither of the women spoke for what seemed to be a long time, until Jane finally broke the silence.

"I didn't realise you felt that way about me," she started, quietly. Her voice was so hushed it was almost a whisper – she was finding it hard to keep the lump in her throat at bay. She knew she had broken Maura's heart, and as much as Maura hadn't said anything she was displaying it visibly. "I would never have said anything like that, if I knew..."

Maura wondered in her head whether it was an illness that was making her feel like that. After all, emotions are just products of a chemical reaction in the brain. Perhaps she had an imbalance. She would research that after Jane left, she decided. Her weight shifted and she rested her head against her hand, her fingers splaying across her cheek and up past her eyes. She still hadn't managed to make eye contact with Jane, although she could feel Jane's eyes burning right through her.

"What do you want, Jane?" Maura almost sighed.

Jane's head bowed, her eyes focusing on her feet. She thought about it for a second. She had known she had feelings for Maura for some time now, why had she not noticed Maura had those exact same feelings? Was she blind? Self-obsessed? _Probably a bit of both_, she thought. On the other hand, she knew how her mother felt about the whole situation. What if her dad felt the same? Frankie? Tommy? Would she lose everyone she ever loved? Korsak would surely be poking fun at her all the time and Jane was pretty sure that Frost would probably try and kill her for taking his chance with Maura away from him. She had fought so hard to gain respect at the department, going through a hell of a lot just because she was a woman – facing all of the typical stereotypes about female detectives. If she was 'outed' to her co-workers she would have to go through it all again. But at least she would have Maura by her side. Jane felt genuinely torn inside about what to do.

"Honestly, I'm not sure, Maura. I want you in my life, don't get me wrong. I... I just," Jane found herself stopping mid-sentence. She didn't know what to say.

By this point Maura already had tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "You don't want someone like me in your life?"

Jane looked up, her eyes finally meeting Maura's. "Someone like you?"

Maura nodded ever so slightly. "Someone like me. I mean... a lesbian."

Jane straightened her spine, "No! Maura, it's not that. I just... I don't know if I can be...in a relationship right now. I just don't know." Jane knew she was dodging the truth slightly, but she was still finding it hard to admit her feelings. "I don't care that you're a lesbian, Maura, that doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me. You're my best friend. You'll always be my best friend – nothing will change that."

Maura wondered if her heart could feel any more broken, because she was sure she just felt her chest rip apart again. _Always her best friend_. "Just your best friend? You don't see the possibility of anything more? You must've felt the chemistry between us Jane. We would be good together..."

"I ... I don't know, Maura. It's complicated..." Jane looked away from Maura, sitting back against the couch. She rubbed her temples, trying to clear her mind to think this through properly.

"I'm going to go away for a while, Jane." Maura interjected, randomly. She knew of a log cabin on the edge of Pleasure Bay and decided she would look into going there. She wanted a few days to clear her head – a long weekend, of sorts. "It will give us both time to think things through, properly. I need to know how we... how I can move on from this."

"Where are you going?" Jane instinctively rested her hand atop of Maura's knee subconsciously. She hadn't realised until Maura moved her leg away quickly and Jane's hand fell onto the sofa. She rested it back on her own lap. "Sorry."

"I'm going to go to the coast, for a few days. Maybe I'll call you when I get back?" She stood up and stretched her back and arms. Jane watched as the light played on the shadow of her curves, framing her perfectly as she moved. _Goddamn, she's beautiful._ Jane felt she couldn't do much but accommodate whatever Maura wanted , give her as much time. Jane had already hurt her so much; it would also give herself the time to think about what she really wanted to do. Whether she was going to take the chance of happiness or ruin everything, again.

"Sure. Please, Maura, take care of yourself." Jane smiled at Maura, although she couldn't see it – there had been roughly three seconds of eye contact since Jane got to Maura's apartment. "Please," she reiterated.

Maura nodded, "I'll be fine. I'm going to leave this afternoon." She walked over to the door, opening it slightly and indicating that Jane should leave.

Jane moved over to the door slowly. "Alright. Well, see you next week at work, then."

Maura nodded in her direction. "Yeah," she said, solemnly.

Before Jane had stepped fully out of the door, she heard the door click shut behind her. She had expected Maura to say goodbye or acknowledge her leaving but was greeted by the closure of the door. These next few days were going to be hard.


	9. A Means Of Escape

_AU: Here's the next part - glad you all seem to be enjoying this so far. :) As always, comments and/or criticisms are appreciated! :) _

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As soon as Jane had left her apartment, Maura had picked up her cell and made a few calls. She had discovered that a log cabin was free for the weekend so she paid the deposit for it over the phone. Flinging a few essentials into a bag, she jumped into her car and began the drive up to Pleasure Bay. It wasn't too long a drive for Maura, and she enjoyed the scenery along the way. She had deliberately left her cell at home, wanting to be unreachable for the weekend – she needed to reassess the situation with Jane, and the implications it would have on both of their lives if they were to both stay as friends, or whether the possibility of something more would do more harm than good. The ocean drew nearer as she drove around the bay and towards the secluded cabin, the gravel cracking and crunching beneath the tyres of her car. Opening the door, she stepped out, the sunshine immediately beating down on her head and she lifted her sunglasses slightly, with a smile. There seemed to be no-one around; total seclusion. Maura allowed a cautious smile as she advanced towards the building.

She pushed the button on her car's key fob, the central locking system inside her Toyota Prius activating and securing the vehicle. She'd bought it as present to herself, deciding that if she were to keep up her Chanel and Jimmy Choo image fa_ç_ade, then she should have a new sleek, silver vehicle to match. As she reached the porch of the cabin, she lifted up the welcome mat to find a silver key underneath; just as Roy had told her when she called up to enquire about renting the cabin for the weekend. She placed the mat back down, ensuring it was level against the hardwood deckboards before unlocking the front door. The cabin itself wasn't entirely huge, but it wasn't small, either. Maura concluded to herself that it would do for the weekend, and shut the door behind her. Just as she did at home, she placed her bag down beside the white gloss skirting boards, lining her Blahnik's up besides it. A giant burgundy rug swept across the floor, starting at the heart of the fireplace and disappearing beneath the couch. Maura walked across the rug, allowing her feet to sink into the cashmere wool, her toes embracing the comfort gratefully. She settled into the couch, resting back and exhaling loudly, as if anyone could hear her. Relief or uncertainty? Maura had most definitely reached one of those pinnacle moments in life which her mother had always told her about during her teenage years. If things didn't resolve themselves with Jane, Maura knew she was going to have to face her at work every day; or would they become those people who obviously spend most of the day avoiding one another? Could a medical examiner and a homicide detective even do that in their line of work? No, Maura thought to herself. Surely one would have to leave, or at least transfer to a different department. She knew that her job role depended upon successful communication between herself and Jane. They had always worked closely together; been able to rely upon one another. Maura loved the team she worked with, even Korsak; and she knew that she didn't want to have to give that up.

Maura knew she deserved to be considered in this situation too. Jane couldn't keep stringing her along like a child's doll; playing with her when she so desired and then relegating Maura back to the toy box when things got uncomfortable and she was forced to face reality and her feelings. Maura chided herself, shaking her head. The whole situation was messed up. If she had just kept her own mouth shut, things between her and Jane wouldn't have ended up like this. On the other hand, if she hadn't opened her mouth, she would have surely imploded and blurted out how she really felt during one of their drinking sessions at the Dirty Robber. Maura felt better for a short period, at least. She looked around her at the cabin, it was so quiet. It was such a stark difference from the usual hustle and bustle of the city she was used to.

Rotating herself so she was horizontal, her head rested against one of the plump cushions and she hooked her arm around her neck and under her body. The couch was much longer than the one back at home, and she fit perfectly between the arms of the furniture. Her breathing slowed and deepened as her eyelids closed of their own accord.

She slept peacefully for most of that night, waking up in the early hours as there was a draft blowing through the door and into the cabin. She wrapped the blanket from the back of the sofa across her body, snuggling down deeply into the warmth of the fabric. The complete silence unnerved Maura more than she thought it would, finding her ears pricking up at every little sound. Thoughts began to enter her mind when she heard branches snap or the scurrying of pebbles as animals ran across the path outside. Was there an intruder lurking around, stalking the place before he made an entrance? Or was it a common fox, just hunting for food? Growing increasingly nervous, she found she couldn't fall back asleep. Sitting up with a sigh, she made her way into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. She grabbed her wash bag out of her purse and sauntered into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face. She ran her paddle brush through her hair and stared at her own reflection in the mirror. This trip was supposed to do her good, clear her mind and bring some wisdom and clarity to her predicament; instead, she found herself unable to rest enough to be able to think clearly, never mind anything else. She ran her hand across the nape of her neck, rubbing it slightly. Deciding to leave early, she packed up the few things she had brought with her and placed them into the car. Leaving the money she owed for the cabin on the table in the living room, she wrote a note for Roy, explaining that she had to leave early but this would cover it. He would discover it when he came to collect the keys for the cabin on Monday.

It was barely five am when Maura got into her car. She pulled out of the driveway and began the drive back to the city, where she would stay at home until she was comfortable enough to see Jane. It was still dark outside, night not relinquishing to the morning sunrise just yet. The headlights from her car illuminated the road in front of her and she drove steadily at 60; there weren't many cars on the road and she cruised happily with no interruptions or deviations. By suddenly leaving this early in the morning, Maura hadn't accounted for the frost that had settled during the night. Her car wheels skidded and made a loud screeching noise as she lost control of her steering. The nose of the Prius dipped into the other lane before tail-spinning back to the right hand side of the road. Maura grabbed at the wheel, turning it back sharply trying to win the argument between the road and her car, but before she had a chance to do anything, the car spun a full circle into a 'yield' sign on the other side of the road. The car wrapped itself around the steel pole, airbags deploying to cushion the impact, the harsh sound of the car alarm was the only sound for miles.


	10. A Change In Attitude

_AU: Here's the next chapter, hope you guys enjoy it! _

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Maura had instinctively raised her hands to protect her head as noticed the car headed for the road sign, and as she came around, she found her head rested against the depleted airbag with her arms resting against the back of her neck. She blinked slightly, and made sure she could feel her legs before she moved; the medical training she had received had told her that in the case of an accident, not to move straight away as it could cause more damage to the body than good. She made sure she was okay; her vision had been a little blurred as she came to, but had since corrected itself. The smell of fuel filled her senses and as she lifted her head slowly she saw smoke plummeting into the air in large, grey clouds from underneath the hood of her car. Maura knew that she had to leave the car straight away; despite her knowledge of mechanics there was nothing more she could do, leaking fuel could lead to an explosion. She opened the car door, pushing it open as far as it would go and looked around her for her purse. She could see it on the passenger seat, slightly crushed by the force of the impact, but somehow managed to retrieve her wallet and black Manolo's from the floor.

Her legs felt unsteady beneath her as they adjusted to accommodate her full weight on her 4 inch heels, but she composed herself enough to get away from the vehicle. Smoke was now billowing from the car, so she turned her back on the vehicle and began to move as quickly as she could along the dark road. The sun was still not beginning to rise in the sky; it would be dark for about another hour or so, so she walked against the white markings on the side of the highway, pulling her jacket closer to her body. She had a few cuts and bruises and thanks to the adrenaline still coursing through her veins it took her some time to recognise the fact that she had a quite deep gash in her forehead, leaking blood as it trickled down the side of her face slowly.

Maura had been walking for about thirty minutes, though it felt like hours in the wind, and there was just the tiniest hint of light appearing on the horizon ahead of her. The road still stretched out for miles, but she could see a small gas station approaching her. She walked quicker, the promised land coming closer to her and as she reached it the owner was just opening up for the day. Maura practically ran up towards him.

"E-e-excuse me," she began, her voice surprisingly small in the cold, "I need some help."

The man turned around, he was in his mid-thirties, wearing a red sox baseball cap. He lifted it slightly to take a look at Maura. His six-foot frame towered over her as he inspected the wound on her head.

"Are you okay, Miss? That's a pretty awful cut you've got yourself there..." he began.

Maura's hand instinctively went up to her forehead, smearing the red blood across her fingers.

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm fine. I crashed my car a few miles back. Do you have a phone I can use?"

He nodded as he turned the key in the lock, pushing the door open and turning the lights on inside the small building. "Sure, come in. I'll get you something for your head."

Maura smiled at him appreciatively, following the man inside. The store wasn't very big, with only two narrow aisles of snacks, drinks, and magazines. She stayed stood by the door whilst the man moved into the back of the store. He reappeared a few seconds later with an ice-pack, which he handed to Maura.

"Here you go, rest that against the wound. It should stop the bleeding, anyway."

"Thank you so much. Forgive me, I've not even introduced myself - I'm Doctor Isles."

The man moved behind the register, starting up the till. He reached under the desk and pulled out a cordless phone, placing it on the counter for Maura to use.

"My name is Mike, nice to meet you," he smiled towards her, "Feel free to use the phone."

Maura nodded and grasped the phone gratefully, calling the first number she could think of – Jane's. Her number rang and rang, but no-one answered, Jane wasn't picking up. Maura looked at her watch; it was unusually early in the morning for Jane to not be at home. The call eventually diverted to Jane's machine, but Maura didn't bother to leave a message. She didn't intend to stay there long enough to wait for Jane to return the call. She hung up, placing the phone down before picking it up again. She tried calling the police department, but there was no answer from either Frost or Korsak. Maura concluded that they must all have been called out on a case together; it was rare, but occasionally it did happen. Maura knew she couldn't call her own parents; they didn't have the best relationship and she hadn't seen them since the previous thanksgiving, so a call out of the blue certainly wouldn't go down well. There was only one other place she could call, the Rizzoli's. Not knowing how she might be received made Maura nervous. The last time she had seen Angela wasn't under the best conditions, but she couldn't very well walk all the way back to the city looking the way she did. _Sometimes you need to admit when you need help, Maura_, she told herself as she dialled the number.

"Hello?" A thick New York drawl almost shouted back at her through the receiver.

Maura could hear Frank shouting in the background, 'Ange! Who the hell is calling us at this time of the morning? Are the kids alright?'

"Hello? Mrs Rizzoli, It's Maura," she began tentatively, concerned that she was unduly alarming Jane's parents.

"Maura? It's a little early for a telephone call, isn't it?"

"I know, and I do apologize, Mrs Rizzoli. I normally wouldn't call you this early but I can't get hold of Jane or anyone at the police department."

"Jane got called out early this morning with the guys at the Precinct. They called here looking for Frankie to go along but he's already out. He's due back soon, though..."

"Mrs Rizzoli, I'm alright, but I'm in trouble. I need some help; I was driving back home and I hit a patch of ice on the roads. My car crashed and is currently folded up around a signpost and I'm stuck."

"Oh my God, Maura; are you alright?" Angela's voice raised and gasped simultaneously.

"I'm ... I'm not too bad, but I need help getting back and I didn't know who else to call..."

"Don't worry about it, dear. Where are you?"

"I'm on the I-90, Westbound;" Maura peered out the window to find any distinguishing features she could describe to Angela. "I'm at the Gulf Gas Station by the edge of the highway."

"Alright, well, someone will be with you as soon as we can, dear. Sit tight."

Maura appreciated Angela's kind gesture, knowing full well how she could have treated Maura; especially since she wasn't exactly her biggest fan right now. "Thank you so much, Mrs Rizzoli, you don't know how much this means to me."

"Just call me Angela, like you used to." The phone clicked off and Maura placed the receiver back onto the handset, before glancing up at Mike, who was now in the middle of reading the local newspaper.

"Thank you so much for your kindness, Mike. I don't know what I would've done otherwise." She glanced down at her ruined Blahniks' and laughed slightly. "I don't think these heels would've lasted the walk back home – or my feet!"

Mike chortled from behind his paper, "Not a problem. Feel free to take a seat until your ride arrives," he pointed at the chair by the door. "And hey, you should probably get that cut on your head checked out at a hospital, or something..."


	11. Ready To Fight?

_Au: Here you go guys, this is the second to last chapter - thank you all for the insanely nice reviews, comments and criticisms! It means a lot to me, and I like knowing all of your thoughts and feelings as the narrative develops, along with the characters :) Hope you all enjoy this! I'm going away on Monday to visit my girlfriends' parents for their 50th wedding anniversary so don't know whether I'll be able to post the last chapter before then, but it won't be too long a wait, hehe *rubs hands together*_

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After Frank had picked up Maura from the gas station, the first place he had taken her was to Massachusetts' General Hospital to get her checked over. Maura had sat in the waiting room for half an hour before she had been seen, and exited the emergency room with ten stitches to her forehead and some heavy pain medication. She was driven back to the Rizzoli's home, where she was greeted by Angela with a cup of chamomile tea.

"Maura! Are you okay? Do you need something to eat?" Angela said, concern lacing her words as she led her over to the couch in the living room. "Just take a load off, relax. Look at you – you have stitches in your forehead! You need to rest. Let me take care of you."

Maura sat down gratefully, feeling slightly awkward at the fact she was being offered Angela's robe and fluffy bunny slippers which had been bought as a joke Christmas present by Jane the year before. Not wanting to come across as rude, she accepted the gesture and wrapped the robe around herself before slipping her feet out of her decimated heels and into the slippers. Maura lifted the mug to her mouth, sipping the tea slowly before placing it down on the table before her.

"Thanks for everything, Angela, but really – I need to go home. I need to take a shower and feed Bass." Maura sat forward indicating she was about to stand up, as Angela walked toward her and rested her hand on Maura's shoulder, keeping her still.

"Nonsense. You'll shower here; you need rest after all you've been through today. I can go and feed Bass for you later. You should also eat something; you can't do anything on an empty stomach!" Angela practically wagged her finger under Maura's nose, bullying her back into the couch. She turned back towards Frank, "Frank! Go get Maura some of the guest towels and grab a pair of Jane's old pajamas from her room. Maura is going to stay here for a while."

Maura smiled awkwardly up at Angela, the thought of wearing Jane's pajamas made her a little uncomfortable to say the least. "Really, Angela, that's very kind of you but I don't think that's necessary."

"Never you mind, you're a guest here. Anyway, what were you doing all the way out towards the harbour? You and Jane usually spend your weekends together..." She trailed off as she realised what she was implying and sat next to Maura. Frank returned to the living room with towels and pajamas in hand, holding them out to Maura with a kind, yet sympathetic smile.

"Here ya go, Maura. Are you doing okay now? You should get some rest," he said as Maura took the items from him. He turned to Angela, "Enough with the inquisition, Ange, let the girl have her shower and get some sleep. She doesn't need your interrogations right now."

Angela blatantly ignored Frank and carried on. "And if you were going to go all that way to the coast, why didn't Jane offer to go and keep you company, considering..." Angela couldn't really bring herself to say the word 'girlfriend' to Maura, "Did you and Jane have a fight or something?"

Maura's body stiffened as she tried to think of a suitable response. Had Jane not spoken to her parents since Angela had shown up at her apartment? It had been just under a week and she still hadn't admitted that they weren't in a relationship to her own mother? Why hadn't she done this, considering Angela rang Jane every day to check up on what had been happening in her life. "Uh...not really a fight, per se, I just needed to get away for a few days – to clear my head." Maura dodged the question, not looking at Angela as she responded. "Work's been a little crazy recently."

Feeling the tension in the room, Frank interrupted, taking Maura's wrist and helping her to her feet. "You don't have to answer her questions, Maura; you can go and take your shower, if you like. You know where it is – and then feel free to get some sleep in Jane's old room." He knew how persistent Angela could be, she had definitely inherited her mothers' lack of charm.

Maura nodded as she rose to her feet, "Thank you both. You've both been so kind. I'll take a quick shower but then I really need to go home." She smiled towards both Angela and Frank before heading to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and turning the lock.

Just as the shower started up, Jane knocked on her parents' door before entering the house. "Hey Ma! It's only me."

Angela came through from the kitchen, where she was busy preparing gnocchi for lunch. "Hey Janie, you okay?"

Jane moved towards her mother, kissing her cheek. Her eyes travelled to where Frank was sat in the living room, the pair of Manolo Blahnik's catching her eye. "Since when did you get an expensive shoe habit?"

Angela turned towards the kitchen to check on the gnocchi, lifting the lid on the pan on the stove to check to see how they were coming along. She wafted some of the steam out of the way before turning back to Jane. "Ya think I could walk in those? Don't be so silly, Jane; they're Maura's," she said, nonchalantly.

Jane's eyebrow raised, she had not expected her mother to say that. Maura was supposed to be away for the weekend, not at her own mothers house. "Maura's here?"

Angela put the lid back onto the pan, turning around to face Jane as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Oh yeah, we picked her up this morning. She's taking a shower, your dad only just got back from the hospital with her."

The hairs on the back of Jane's neck almost stood up on end, as her stomach leapt up to her throat with worry. Hospital? Why was Maura at the hospital?_ If anyone has hurt her, I swear to God they'll end up in Maura's morgue before I'm through with them, _she thought to herself. Angela must've picked up on Jane's fear because before she knew it, her mothers' arms were wrapped around her, squeezing her tightly.

"Maura's fine, don't worry about it. I tried to reach you, but your phone was off," she pulled away and looked at Jane's face, "Jane, you're almost white! Maura's fine. Just a few stitches. Sit down, get some food inside of you, you'll be fine."

Jane shook her head, almost violently. "No, ma! The solution to everything isn't always food. Stitches? What happened, why was she at the hospital. Why didn't she call _me?_"

"Sweetie, she did try to call you! You were out on duty, it was really early in the morning. Maura's fine, she's okay, I promise you! We've taken good care of your ... your girlfriend." Frank relayed through to the kitchen. He had turned in his seat slightly, so he could see the women from the couch.

"She's not... she's not my girlfriend... I thought that was pretty clear from last week." Jane sat down at one of the stools around the kitchen counter island. She rested her chin against the palm of her hand, looking at her mother.

"It wasn't very clear at all, the way you two were carrying on... at least, it wasn't clear to me, anyway." Angela's hands were waving the wooden spatula in the air, throwing the sauce from the pan around in the air as she did so.

Maura stepped quietly out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of Jane's old Red Sox pajamas. "It wasn't very clear to me, either..." Her voice was quiet, but resonated through the house loudly.

Jane snapped her head around to see Maura approaching herself and Angela; her hair dripping wet down onto Jane's old pajamas. She stared at the stitches across Maura's temple, the skin still red and swollen, as if the stitches were going to burst from all of the pressure they were containing. Maura had a couple of bruises on her face and neck, but nothing too serious. It still didn't stop Jane's heart from dropping in her chest, and the ache in her arms from wanting to give her a hug and tell her everything was okay. That she would protect her. That she _should_ have protected her, somehow.

"Maur-", she began. She rose to her feet and walked towards her. "What happened to you?"

Self-consciously, Maura tucked her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm fine, I look worse than I feel, I'm sure. I crashed my car - I think I hit some ice. It's nothing major – just a minor laceration to the forehead which will probably end up being a contusion for the next couple of weeks," Maura could see the concern written all over Jane's face, "Seriously, Jane. I'm fine – your mom and dad have taken great care of me. I tried you all at the department this morning, but couldn't get through to anyone. I hope you don't mind me calling your mom to pick me up – I couldn't imagine calling my own parents..."

"I told you before, Maura, its fine! You're practically family, anyway!" Angela interrupted.

"Yeah, anytime!" Frank yelled through from the living room, causing Maura to blush slightly. She was _practically_ family, Angela and Frank had been better parents to her over the past couple of years than her own parents had been. She looked at Jane, smiling slightly. She advanced towards her, about to say something when Jane cut her off.

"Maura, can I talk to you. Privately," she added, quickly. She lead them both into her old bedroom, away from her mothers' prying ears, shutting the door behind them.

"What are you doing?" Jane turned around and crossed her arms.

"Well, I've just got out of the shower your parents told me to take, and I'm about to go back home. I need to check on Bass anyway."

"That's not what I meant, Maura. I thought you were going away for the weekend? That you wouldn't be back until next week?" Jane sat down on the edge of the bed, looking towards Maura.

"That's true, I wasn't going to leave for at least another day and a half, but I couldn't stay there. Not in that big cabin, all alone. I thought it would help, but ... the silence was almost deadly," Maura sat down.

"Well, they do call you the queen of the dead," Jane said, laughing slightly. Maura permitted a small smile to genuinely cross her lips, the first in a long while.

"Truth was, I was running away. But, it didn't work. I couldn't stay away. I couldn't stand to be away from you." She dared to inch her hand towards Jane's, leaving it open for Jane to take hold of; hoping that this time she wouldn't get knocked back again.

Jane looked down towards Maura's hand and then back up at her face. "Look, Maura. I'm sorry I was such an ass about everything. I was just so... confused. I was so anxious about my family's reaction to us, especially with the way things ended with my mom in my apartment that night. I don't even know how Frankie and dad will respond! They're not as easy to read as ma."

Maura shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I doubt they'd have offered me a ride, and rescued me, if they didn't care about me. They wouldn't have looked after me they way they did. Look, I'm even wearing the fluffy bunny slippers you bought for your mom last Christmas! And I'm pretty sure she already thinks we're dating anyway, all things considered," she laughed nervously, unsure of where this was going yet aware of the chance she was taking.

Jane nodded, "Yeah, they have been pretty amazing, haven't they? Surprised they haven't moved you in here already!"

"Well, from the reaction of your mom in particular, I'd say it was only you who has the issue with us being together. Your mom and dad just told me I was practically family in there."

"They might not think the same if they thought that their only daughter was sleeping with another woman, though. Families don't tend to sleep with each other...not that I'm aware of, anyway. I hope not!"

"Well, there's only way to find out, then, isn't there?" Maura stood up. "If you want to fight for this relationship, anyway."


	12. Taking The Initiative

_AU: Here it is, guys, the final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and leaving reviews the whole way through this - it really helps to know what people think! PS. If you're on twitter, I'm photoutopia; it'd be great to have more R&I fans on there ;) XD _

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Jane looked up, confusion in her brown eyes. "You still want to be with me? After all the shit I've put you through? You know that even though ma has been okay with you today, things might not be like that all the time, right? Especially if we're in a relationship together."

"All relationships have their ups and downs, Jane. And yeah, okay, we work together, so there is a kind of an added risk here. But at the core of it, there's something... there, with us. I don't know what it is. But I do know that I don't want to give it up without giving this a chance," Maura took a step towards Jane, "Life is about taking risks sometimes."

Jane rubbed her sweaty palms down the legs of her slacks, her anxiety levels increasing tenfold. She agreed with Maura, she was aware of the dangers of this relationship; but she was scared. She'd never trusted anyone the way did Maura, but it wasn't only that. The only relationships she'd ever experienced had been with men. She'd never felt anything like this for a woman before. It was a whole new territory for Jane, what should she even _do_ with a woman?

She stood up and looked Maura square in the eye, exhaling anxiously. "But what if this doesn't work out?"

Maura could easily read the fear in Jane's eyes as she calmly took Jane's hand in hers. "You really are scared about this, aren't you? Imagine if you had taken my call this morning, when my blood was running down my face," she laughed. "It's weird, I've seen you stay calm, even with a gun held to your own head; yet now you panic and sweat when a girl tells you she's in love with you!"

Jane felt her cheeks burn and turn a shade of pink, "I'm not nervous, it's just...hot in here," she added, as a bead of sweat dropped down her face. She knew she had just flat out blown her own cover, but she was never one to admit her feelings openly.

Maura moved even closer to Jane, their bodies close to touching. "Come on now, your autonomic nervous system has gone into overdrive, and you're experiencing sporadic tachycardia. I can tell that those symptoms are being caused by more than just the temperature in the room."

Jane felt as though she was about to pass out. She knew she was going to have to admit her feelings, Maura was backing her into a corner with no escape this time. She could feel Maura's warm breath against her face as the caramel blonde inched closer.

"It has been proven, Jane, that your pupils dilate when you're attracted to someone; whether they're of the same sex or not. That is irrelevant," Maura continued, looking into Jane's eyes. "Love isn't about gender – at least, it shouldn't be. You can't choose who you love, and it shouldn't matter what anybody else thinks. After all, there was a study by –"

Jane couldn't take any more of Maura's scientific facts, and ended her tirade by awkwardly planting her lips onto Maura's, taking hold of her shoulders and holding her still – temporarily silencing both Maura and all of the doubts in her own mind.

Maura was rendered speechless when Jane finally pulled back from their kiss.

"Nothing more to say, Wikipedia?" Jane joked, still blushing slightly, "Was that how your thesis ended?"

"I-uh...um..." Maura stammered, of all the things she had expected Jane to do, kissing her had not been not one of them. "I had hoped so," the overconfident look on Jane's face boosted Maura's bravado as she began to recover, "So I take it we're more than just friends now? Since when did you start kissing women?"

"Since you got into a car crash and started wearing ma's fluffy slippers," Jane smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day you swapped stilettos' for bunnies." Jane relaxed more, the tension in the air now beginning to break since their kiss. She brought her hands from Maura's shoulders, ghosting a finger over the top of her stitches. "I leave you alone for one second and you try and get yourself killed."

Maura shrugged off Jane's concern, taking her hand and lowering it to her side. "I guess we should spend more time alone together, then. Do you think we could do that, maybe?" Maura's voice remained quiet, sounding almost shy for the first time since this conversation had began; Jane found it endearing.

"I don't have a problem with that; in fact, I think I'm going to enjoy trying this relationship stuff. You never know, I might even be good at it!" Jane sounded pleased, almost shocked at her own admission. She had only ever had one other serious relationship in the past, and so far, that had felt nothing like this. "I mean, I never even considered being with a woman before, I thought I'd be grossed out but turns out, I'm not. It was nice – kissing you, I mean, at least it was with –"

Just as Jane had interrupted Maura earlier, Maura took the initiative and leaned in to kiss Jane. Less awkward than before, Jane found herself immediately responding to Maura's soft lips, enjoying the embrace; deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around Maura's waist – pulling her closer.

It was sometime before the kiss broke, and when it did Jane winked suggestively at Maura. "Now that we've passed the kissing stage," she lowered her hands slightly from Maura's waist to her ass, "Perhaps with a little practice, we'll get really good at doing _other_ things in the bedroom."

Maura grinned at Jane's suggestion, "I'm sure you could find ways of persuading me, detective."

"Oh, I bet I can, doctor," Jane said, with a playful smile, as she moved in to kiss Maura again.

From outside the door, the sound of smashing glass made both Maura and Jane jump and break away from their embrace. They looked at each other in confusion, before Jane realised what had happened as she walked over to the door, flinging it open. Maura immediately put her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter when she spotted Angela on the floor, scooping up the shards of glass from the tumbler which she had obviously had pressed against the wall the whole time.

"Ma! You really need to watch a soap opera if you want to overhear some drama..."

This time it was Angela's turn to blush as she clambered around on the floor, picking up the final shards of glass from the carpet. Jane turned back to Maura, her face covered by her hands as she shook her head. "Are you sure you really want to be part of this crazy family?"

Maura moved towards Jane, plucking up the courage to allow her arm to snake around the brunette's waist as she kissed her on the cheek, "Who doesn't love a bit of crazy every now and again?"

**~Fin.**


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